Which Way to 'The Prom?
by ShelleyBarnard
Summary: On prom night, Buffy has to make a series of decisions, leading to different results. Now complete.
1. Part One

Spoilers: "The Prom", with vague references to season 4

Disclaimer: Everything in the Buffy universe belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. "Which Way Books" belong to R. G. Austin and Archway Paperbacks. 

Note: This is in response to my own challenge, which reads as follows: take any individual episode or story arc from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and turn it into a "Which Way" story. The story must feature either Giles or his other half in the ship of your choice, with your main character making different decisions leading to different endings. There must be at least four endings (though you are certainly encouraged to do more than that, if you wish!), resulting from at least two different decisions. At least one of each ending must be included:

a canonical ending, i.e., end it exactly the way Joss did; a fatal ending, i.e., Giles' or his love's decisions lead to his or her death; an unhappily-ever-after ending, i.e., your character will continue to live long after your story ends, but will live in misery. Your character may or may not be aware that she or he isn't truly happy; a happy ending, i.e., lots of smoochies (or, better yet, some hot Gilesian monkey-sex) after some **good** decisions. 

"It's not fair, Wills," Buffy whined.

"No, it's not," Willow agreed loyally, not giving any hint that she was getting a little tired of this conversation. She had spent the last two hours listening to Buffy complain about Angel and how much it sucked to be the Slayer, and she was prepared to go another two hours if necessary. It was a best friend's job to listen and advise and, by golly, she intended to do just that. Perhaps this evening had been a tad excessive, but Buffy **was** her best friend. And Buffy had saved her life more than once. And that had been really, really nice of her. And she wasn't **really** thinking of finding a vampire to put her out of her misery. Cause, who could think of listening to your best friend bitch, um, **chat** as misery anyway?

"I mean, it's like the Hellmouth has this never-ending quest to screw up my life. Other girls get to get gussied up, wear gorgeous dresses, and accompany their tuxedo-clad boyfriends to their proms; I get to chase down hellhounds. Hellhounds! I mean, maybe I don't have a date, but damnit, I still wanted to go!" Buffy ended that last statement in a loud wail, and Willow was proud of herself for not flinching.

Hoping to put an end to Buffy's diatribe, the redheaded witch picked up on the last thread. "But Buffy, you could still go. You still have the tickets, right? And you don't **have** to have a date. You know that Oz and Xander would both dance with you if you ask them. Maybe even Giles? He's gonna be chaperoning, and I'll betcha anything that he looks fantastic in a tux. It could be fun!"

"I know I could go without a date but, hello, hellhounds?" 

Willow firmly reminded herself that best friends did not smack each other upside the heads. And even if they did, Buffy was way stronger than she was, so it still wouldn't be a good idea. Instead, she called up her last reserve of patience and suggested, "You could always go after you finish Slaying. I mean, skip patrol and give the vampires a night off for a change. I'm sure that Giles would agree that a couple of hellhounds counts as a good night's work, and I bet he would let you go to the prom as soon as you finished killing them. He might even let you leave the bodies til morning, and we could make clean-up a big Scooby event!"

"Yeah, that would be fine for a night of dancing at the Bronze, but Will, this is the prom! I want to wear my eye-popping dress and do something really cool with my hair. I can't do that after an evening of Slayage! You **know** that I'll be all trashed. And wouldn't Cordelia just love to rub my nose in it if I show up to the prom looking like hell. I just don't see any way I can go..."

"Ooh, I have an idea! I once found an anti-stain spell. Blood and dirt just float right off, and clothes stay perfectly clean no matter what you do." Willow was excited. Not only did this sound like a cool spell for her to perform, but she could also solve Buffy's problem at the same time. Which was good, because Willow didn't want Buffy to have any problems. And if Buffy just happened to shut up, then that was a bonus. The main thing, of course, was to make her best friend happy. And to make her stop whining.

Buffy sounded miffed. "And I didn't already know about this spell **because**? Do you have any idea how much money I spend on dry-cleaning? This could have extended my allowance a **lot** further over the last few years!"

"Yeah, well, Giles didn't want me to tell you about this spell," Willow admitted sheepishly. "But you know how he is about magic, going all You don't know what the consequences might be,' and There's no reason to do unnecessary magic.' But Buffy, I **know** I can do this spell, and it's sort of a good cause, you know? I bet I could even extend it to your head, so you won't mess up your hair or make-up. Giles might even approve, cause it would help you be the Slayer and a regular high school student, and he's all in favor of that. Just don't tell him, okay? Cause he would feel all obligated to object just on general principle, and what he doesn't know he can't object to. Did I just end that sentence in a preposition? Maybe I should have said--"

After three years acquaintance, Buffy was adept at recognizing an impending babble, and adeptly interrupted Willow before the witch could get started. "I don't know, Willow. "Things never turn out well for me when I keep things from him. Remember that frat party with the giant snake? That was a lot of fun. And let's not even get into Angel's return! Maybe I **should** see what he thinks about this spell..."

Now it was Willow's turn to be miffed. "You just don't think I can do the spell! Buffy, that is *so* not fair! I am totally improving, and I **know** I can do it!"

"I just don't know," Buffy wavered. "I mean, I don't want to keep things from Giles any more, but I really would like to look my best for the prom and not have it all messed up by Slaying. Let me think about it, and I'll decide in the morning..."

If you think Buffy will put her appearance before common sense and have Willow do the spell, go to part two.

If you think Buffy will ask Giles' opinion and actually follow it, go to part six.


	2. Part Two

See part one for notes, disclaimers, and some sort of explanation for what the hell is going on.

Part Two

The following morning, Buffy asked Willow to perform the spell, and the young witch was happy to oblige. It was decided that they would meet at the Magic Box in order to collect supplies and then go out to lunch together. After lunch, Willow would come over to Rivello Drive, do the spell on Buffy, and then the two girls would spend the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the prom.

Lunch was fun, and the spell casting was filled with even more gaiety, but Buffy felt a little odd afterwards. She began to hear a buzzing noise that gave her a serious wiggins. Willow didn't hear anything, and suggested it might just be her imagination. Buffy was insulted. "You mean you think I'm losing my mind or something? Why can't it be my Spidey Sense? Or maybe-- maybe it's my super Slayer hearing!"

Willow sensed that Buffy didn't have complete faith in her ability to work a simple spell, and it was now her turn to be insulted. "There is nothing in the book about a buzzing noise, and I **know** that I did it right. Yeah, I altered the spell a little bit to cover your hair and make-up, but it wasn't that big of a change. But if it makes you feel better, we could get a second opinion."

Buffy smiled with relief. "Okay, I'll go over to Giles' right now."

"No," squeaked Willow. "I'm talking about Oz. 'Cause, you know, wolf hearing and all. If there really is something to hear, then Oz will hear it. I'll call him and ask him to come over."

"Uh-huh," Buffy drawled. "You just want an excuse to call Oz."

"Well, that too!" Willow grinned unrepentantly, and Buffy gave her an indulgent smile.

Half an hour later, Oz arrived at Buffy's house looking very agitated, and completely non-Oz-like. "What have you done to yourself, Buffy? I could hear that horrible buzzing over two blocks away."

Willow quickly filled him in while Buffy looked at her in triumph. "I **told** you there was a buzzing noise. If the book doesn't mention the noise, maybe there are some other side effects that it also leaves out. I think I should go over to Giles' and have him remove the spell."

"But Buffy... the prom? Cordelia making fun of you? Do you really want the spell removed? You know those hellhounds will leave you all yucky looking..."

Oz looked alarmed, another uncharacteristic expression for him. "You know how much I hate to argue with you, Willow, but I really think that you or Giles should remove the spell. That buzzing is **really** irritating, and I'm not even in full wolf mode. It's worse than Mrs. Cavanaugh's dog whistle. Maybe humans can't hear it, but I can just about guarantee that that noise is going to drive the hellhounds nuts."

"Well then, Buffy won't have to hunt them down," Willow pointed out brightly. "She can finish her Slaying sooner, and have more time at the prom!"

Oz was unconvinced. "I don't know, baby..."

If you think Buffy should take Willow's advice, because Willow is the resident expert on witchcraft and **always** knows what she is doing, go to part three.

If you think Buffy should take Oz's advice and go see Giles, cause Oz knows all about canines, go to part six.


	3. Part Three

See part one for notes, disclaimers, and explanations.

Part Three

Buffy decided to leave the anti-stain spell in place, so Oz bailed on them. He simply couldn't stand to be around Buffy and the noise she was emitting. The girls didn't mind, because it left them free to spend the afternoon getting ready for the prom. By nightfall, both girls looked absolutely perfect. 

Buffy looked at the mirror in satisfaction. "Thanks, Will. For everything."

"Angel doesn't know what he's missing," Willow said sadly.

Buffy looked depressed for a moment, but brightened up when she looked at the mirror again. "His loss," she said with stubborn good cheer. And with that, she grabbed her bag of weapons and took off for the prom. She had some hellhounds to Slay.

As she approached the school, she realized that she wouldn't actually have to go looking for the hellhounds. Oz was right; the buzzing noise she was giving off proved irresistible to the demon dogs, despite Tucker's training. The dogs had no interest in any tuxedo-clad teenagers... at least not while that noise persisted.

At first Buffy was happy that she wouldn't have to go looking for the hellhounds, but she soon became uneasy. Seven, no **eight**, hellhounds were surrounding her, and appeared to be working in concert. She was holding her own, but it was impossible to attack with the pack continually harassing her. Buffy vaguely remembered a National Geographic special on wild dogs that she had once seen, and she started to become afraid. She was more than a match for individual hellhounds, but an entire pack might be too much for her. To hell with the prom; she would be lucky to get through this evening alive.

Well, she needed to do something before they wore her down. She **could** go on the offensive... **if** she was willing to leave her flank unprotected. She would get hurt, perhaps badly, but she would certainly hurt them too. Any hounds that escaped would be injured, and Giles should be able to finish them off. Alternately, she could run, trusting the hounds to follow her. This seemed like a riskier plan, because she wouldn't be able to fight at all while she was fleeing. If they hamstrung her, then they would overwhelm her before she could even raise her sword. She would be dead without inflicting any damage on the hellhounds at all, and her classmates would all become demon puppy chow. On the other hand, she might be able to find a more defensible position–one far away from the prom. She might even be able to kill them all and still make it to the dance... Buffy shook away that last errant thought, and tried to come to a decision. Giles had been training her in tactics for years; it was time to make him proud.

If you think Buffy should throw all caution to the wind and attack the hellhounds, go to part four.

If you think Buffy should run like hell, go to part five.


	4. Part Four

See part one for notes, disclaimers.

Part Four

Buffy took a deep breath and threw herself at the largest of the hellhounds. The creature was strong, and it took everything she had to keep its slavering jaws away from her neck ... which meant that she had no attention to give to the rest of the pack. By the time she killed the leader, she was bleeding in half a dozen places. She didn't have any time to think about her wounds, however, because she still had another seven hellhounds to Slay.

It took Buffy nearly an hour to kill the last hellhound, and by that time she looked like a doggy chew toy. Almost every inch of her body had been cut or slashed by vicious canine teeth and blood was gushing from every one of her wounds, for Willow's anti-stain spell had another unexpected consequence. Blood could not touch her dress, so it continually flowed up and away from her body. Not even Slayer healing could close wounds that wouldn't clot up, and the steady blood loss was starting to make her light-headed. 

She started to crawl towards the prom, knowing that Giles would patch her up in no time ... provided she could get to him. Her knees gave out after two feet; there was no way she could possibly make it all the way to the prom. She finally collapsed, admiring the beauty of the precious red streamers flowing away from her body. As she lay dying, two thoughts continued to plague her: would the gang be able to stop the Ascension without her? And would Giles be all right without her? She was sorry she didn't get a chance to see him in his tuxedo. And then she wasn't sorry for anything else at all, because it was:

THE END

What? You don't like a dead Buffy? I don't either. Why don't you go to part five to see what would have happened if Buffy had run away from the hellhounds.


	5. Part Five

See part one for notes and disclaimers.

Part Five

Buffy pulled her dress up and took off as fast as she could. She ran towards Restfield Cemetery, hoping to get as far from other people as she could. Besides, if she was lucky, she might find a good crypt that would protect her back. It was unbelievable how fast those hounds could run. Without her Slayer speed and stamina, she would be dead already; she was getting pretty damn tired as it was.

Just when she thought she couldn't run any more, the Slayer heard the most beautiful sound in the world: Angel, calling her name. Moments later, he was at her side, game face firmly in place. 

Buffy was so relieved she nearly cried. "I've never been so glad to see you, Angel! If we go back to back, I think we just might make it out of here."

For the next twenty minutes or so, vampire and Slayer worked together, attacking the dogs in a deadly dance. Despite the seriousness of her situation, Buffy laughed in the pleasure of the fight. The intricate choreography that they achieved so easily proved to her once again that they were perfect for each other.

After the last hellhound was dispatched, Buffy took a good look at Angel. He was wearing a tuxedo, oddly enough. It gave him a bull in the china shop sort of look, but Buffy was deeply touched to see him wearing it. She wondered idly how much money he would lose on his deposit, for the tux was ripped and disheveled from the fight. "You were going to go to the Prom after all," she remarked tremulously.

Angel looked uncomfortable. "Well, you said you wanted to go. I thought..."

"You thought that you would give me my perfect high school moment," Buffy interrupted. "The fact that you wanted to do that for me is perfect enough. But we can't go now, with your tuxedo looking like that. Let's go to your place instead."

"Buffy, I really don't think that's a good idea. Nothing has changed between us." 

Despite his words, however, Angel sounded unsure of himself. Tactics girl that she was, Buffy quickly pounced on his indecision. "Angel, if you hadn't come along, those hellhounds would have killed me. There were just too many of them, and I had no one to guard my back. I understand that you want me to have this perfect future, but Slayers almost never get any future ... perfect or otherwise. Having you around, helping me fight the forces of darkness, makes a difference. You can help to make sure that I have a future. Okay, so it's not going to be perfect. We can't make love again, and we can't go for romantic strolls on the beach, and we'll never have children ... but Angel, I won't have those things anyway if I'm dead." Buffy took a deep breath, and stared into his beautiful chocolate eyes. This was it; time to say what she should have said the previous morning. "Stay with me, Angel. Stay with me until I meet my Slayer expiration date, and see if you can't extend that date a bit. We'll go to your place now, and start to build a life together. I don't care about sex; I just want to wake up in your arms."

Angel knew that she was wrong, that *they* were wrong, but he found himself nodding anyway. Liam had been weak-willed when he was alive, and Liam's undead corpse wasn't much stronger. Of course, it didn't help that she looked beyond perfect in her prom dress. He took her home, and they spent the rest of the night cuddled together in the miserable bliss that was uniquely Buffy and Angel.

- * - * - * - * -

Buffy was at Giles' bright and early the next morning, eager to get the disgusting job of hellhound disposal out of the way so that they could get back to researching the Ascension. To her surprise, Giles was furious at her. "So kind of you to show up, Buffy. It would have been more appreciated, however, if you had shown up at your dance. I spent the entire night in a panic, worrying about your safety."

Buffy winced. "I'm sorry, Giles. My bad. I ran into Angel, and he helped me with the hellhounds. We had things to work out afterwards. I really didn't mean to wig you."

Giles wasn't appeased at all. In fact, he looked angrier. "You spent the night with Angel," he flatly deduced. "Would it have killed you to call and let me know that? You could have left a message on my machine, and I might have had a decent night's sleep for a change."

"I'm sorry," Buffy repeated sheepishly. And she was. She also felt a little scared. Behind Giles' anger was another emotion that she couldn't quite identify–disappointment, maybe? –that disturbed her. This wasn't just about failing to report in, but she didn't have a clue what else was she had done wrong. She had an uncomfortable feeling in her gut that she had screwed up with Giles again, perhaps for the last time.

Giles put a lid on his anger before the others arrived, and they all went to work on defeating the Mayor. But Buffy's gut had been correct; something had changed irrevocably between Slayer and Watcher. The atmosphere between Giles and Buffy was professional, but the old camaraderie was noticeably absent. The other Scoobies picked up on the change, but only Cordelia commented on it.

Giles had been all reserved and British from the morning after the Prom, but his passion flared to life again after Angel fed off her. When he discovered that she was still planning on spending her life with Angel in spite of the fact that he had nearly killed her, Giles totally lost it. Any chance they might have had at salvaging their relationship died that day, even though he didn't leave Sunnydale until several months later.

The Scooby gang fell apart after Giles left for England. Both Willow and Xander blamed Buffy for Giles' departure, claiming that he could take anything the Hellmouth could dish out, but being ignored in favor of Angel was just too much for him. Buffy reacted badly to their accusations ... not least because she knew they were true. After she finished her hysterical counter-attack, those two friendships were in tatters. 

Over the next year, Buffy and Angel became closer and closer, largely because he was now all she had. She had no friends, had stopped talking to her mother altogether after Angel told her how Joyce had tried to break the two of them up, and never got into the college scene because she spent all of her free time with Angel. True, they didn't have that much in common other than fighting demons, but they were in love. Maybe they weren't happy, but they weren't actively unhappy all of the time ... and being in love more than made up for that fact. At least, that's what Buffy told herself when she found herself missing her mom, her friends, or her Watcher. And as for that small voice inside her that whispered that obsession and love and misery weren't really all the same thing, well, she was careful to never listen to it. She couldn't have survived Giles' absence if she had.

THE END

Well, that totally sucked. I suppose that those of you who get off on angst are in a depressive bliss right now, but what about those of us who enjoy happy endings? I wonder if things might have turned out better if Buffy had asked Giles about the anti-stain spell after all... Why don't you go to part six to find out?


	6. Part Six

See part one for notes and disclaimers.

Part Six

Buffy went to talk to Giles about the anti-stain spell, and he was distinctly displeased. "That irresponsible girl! When will Willow ever learn that magic is **not** the answer to every little picadillo that comes her way?" Giles abruptly shook off his irritation, and looked at Buffy with affection. "In any case, I'm glad you came to me. That particular spell would have been disastrous consequences. It repels particulate matter by changing the harmonics around the enspelled object. Had you gone out tonight with that spell upon you, the harmonic vibrations would have proven maddening to the hellhounds."

"Huh?"

"That spell causes a, um, buzzing noise that would have, erm, pissed off the demons." Seeing that Buffy still didn't seem to get it, Giles added, "It would have been a bad thing."

"Oh! Okay then. So, about those hellhounds..." 

Buffy and Giles spent the next half-hour or so discussing the demons and the prom. Buffy must have allowed some of her bitterness to show in her voice, for Giles gave her a sad look. "Angel's not taking you, is he?"

Buffy was careful to keep her voice level and unaffected. "Angel's leaving me. He's leaving town."

Giles didn't say anything to that, and Buffy thought the subject was closed, but then he suddenly sighed. "Buffy, I'm sorry. I don't really know what to say. I understand, um, that this sort of thing requires ice cream, of some kind."

Buffy swallowed, amazed once again at her Watcher's extraordinary kindness. "Ice cream will come. First I want to take out psycho-boy. The great thing about being the Slayer? Kicking ass is comfort food."

- * - * - * - * -

Buffy actually enjoyed Slaying the hellhounds. They were in three teams, one with two dogs in it and two with three dogs. The first two packs weren't terribly challenging; the last group was a little harder to take out, but still not too bad. The worst part about hunting the hellhounds was getting them to pay attention to her; they kept ditching her in their attempts to get to the prom. Buffy actually wound up killing the last two hellhounds in the high school itself, a little too close to the festivities for her comfort. Still, they didn't get in the doors, so no harm, no foul.

Buffy dragged the demons off into the bushes (always her **least** favorite part of Slaying!) and then went to get ready for the dance. Her gown was pretty wrinkled, but it was such a beautiful dress that it still looked fairly presentable. As for her hair, she simply pulled her bangs back with a barrette and left it long in back. It wasn't the elaborate quaffed hairdo that she had always dreamed of, but it didn't look too bad. All in all, **she** didn't look too bad, even without Willow's cool anti-stain spell.

She went in to the prom, and looked about wistfully. Everybody had a honey except her... The first person she saw when she walked through the doors was Giles. He looked **amazing** in his tux. His tall, muscular, but slender frame seemed to have been tailor made for eveningwear, rather than the other way around. He smiled and nodded at her, and suddenly she knew that she could enjoy the dance, date or no date.

Even though Buffy was grateful to Giles for making things all right for her, she wasn't ready to talk to him just yet. First she sought out Willow and Oz–both of whom looked wonderful–and then she went in search of some punch to hide behind. She wouldn't have to justify not dancing if her hands were full with edibles. Besides, she was feeling a bit hungry after an evening of Slaying.

As she was filling her cup, her name was called. The next thing she knew, Jonathan was presenting her with a special award. The award was an amazingly tacky little umbrella with the words "Buffy Summers, Class Protector" emblazoned upon it. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life.

It didn't take long, however, for Buffy's happiness to melt away as she watched everyone she knew getting all couply. As Buffy was staring forlornly at happy, dancing couples, Giles came up behind her. He smiled fondly at her, and for a fleeting moment, Buffy thought he looked good enough to eat. "You did good work tonight, Buffy."

She smiled brightly and held up her wonderful award. "And I got a little toy surprise."

Giles chuckled. "I had no idea that children en masse could be ... gracious."

She nodded. "Every now and then, people surprise you." Buffy wondered whether her shy Watcher would surprise her by asking her to dance. She was startled to realize that she wanted him to rather badly.

Unexpectedly, however, the smile slipped from Giles' face. His gorgeous green eyes became distant as he stared fixedly at something over her shoulder, and his voice was absolutely flat as he responded, "Every now and then." He reached down to take the gaudy umbrella from her, still not taking his gaze away from whatever was behind her. As she turned around to see what had so captured Giles' attention, she sensed him slipping away unobtrusively.

Buffy scanned the crowd for a moment before she saw him. Angel. He was wearing a tuxedo, but James Bond he wasn't. Angel's shoulders were just too broad for him to ever look good in a tux, but it was still unbelievably sweet of him to wear one. In fact, it was sweet of him to come to the prom at all, when he had made it clear that he didn't want to go ... even before he dumped her.

Buffy was confused. Angel had dumped her, but now here he was, coming to claim a dance like it was his due. Giles had looked like he was working his way up to asking her to dance, but he had faded into the background the second Angel appeared. She wanted to dance with Angel because everyone knew that she was in love with him; and she wanted to dance with Giles because, well, she didn't know why, but she still wanted to dance with him. Her instincts told her that if she didn't go after Giles **now**, he would disappear and she would never get another opportunity; but, on the other hand, Angel would be terribly hurt if she turned her back on him. Of course, he had dumped her, so she really shouldn't care too much whether his feelings got hurt or not ... but she did. 

If you think Buffy should wait for Angel to walk across the room and claim his dance, go to part seven.

If you think Buffy should chase after Giles, go to part eight.


	7. Part Seven

Nothing has changed from part one: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the "Which Way?" books still do not belong to me. Sigh...

Part Seven

Buffy watched Angel walk deliberately across the crowded dance floor, and then she started moving slowly towards him. She crossed the distance between them in the same way he did: mindlessly, as if they were magnets drawn together regardless of will or desire. It only took a few moments for the two of them to meet up, but Buffy could have sworn that she had spent half her life fighting against the tide of swaying teenagers to meet up with her love. 

Buffy looked up sadly at Angel. "I never thought you'd come."

"It's a big night. I didn't want to miss it." Buffy looked thoughtful, and Angel began to worry about what might be going through her head. "It's just tonight. It doesn't mean that, ah–"

Oh God, he was going to dump her again. Here, at the Prom. Anxious to prevent Angel from finishing his sentence, Buffy interrupted. "I know. I mean, I understand."

Angel's soulful brown eyes looked deeply into Buffy's hazel ones, and everything he felt was expressed in them. Aloud, he contented himself with a simple query; "Will you dance with me?"

Although it didn't make its way onto her face, a smile momentarily lighted Buffy's eyes. She nodded slightly, and then fitted herself into Angel's large embrace. They swayed to the music in perfect misery, and it took every bit of strength that Buffy possessed to keep from crying. 

This last dance with Angel was painful, but it was also sweet. And it was everything she had wanted from her prom. She didn't understand why her perfect high school moment had to hurt so badly, but maybe that's just what love was about. Or maybe, that was just what she and Angel were about. Maybe it **was** a good thing that he was leaving...

THE END

Joss is nice and happy now; I'm not. I think Buffy should have gone after Giles. If you agree, go to part eight. (If you don't agree, why are you reading a B/G story? Just curious...)


	8. Part Eight

Nope. Still not mine. Alas, alack, and Alaska...

Part Eight

Buffy watched Angel walk deliberately across the crowded dance floor, but she found herself thinking about Giles instead of the vampire. He had said that people surprise you every now and then, but Buffy wasn't really surprised. True, she hadn't expected Angel to show up at the dance, but she wasn't actually **surprised**. Angel was fairly predictable, once you cracked his brooding mystery man act. He would glide over to her, look at her with soulful eyes, inform her that he was still going to leave Sunnydale after the Ascension, and then he would ask her to dance. Whereas Giles ... she had absolutely no idea what Giles would have said if Angel hadn't showed. She hoped that he had planned to ask her to dance, but she didn't actually **know** if that was what he would have done.

The problem was that her relationship with Angel was so ... scripted. They kissed, they cuddled, they made declarations of undying love to each other, they gazed at each other soulfully, they fought side by side, and they hurt each other every damn time they spent more than two minutes together. And that was really just about it. Restrained by Angel's curse (not to mention the niggling little fact that he wasn't actually alive), there was no room to grow or expand their relationship. And yet she clung to this painful entanglement because she always knew what to expect, because there were never any surprises. When had she let her life become so predictable, so safe? She always took risks in her Slaying, so why was she so afraid of the unknown in her personal relationships?

Would Giles dance with her if she asked him, or would he stutter his way out of it? Buffy didn't know, and she suddenly found that thought very attractive. Acting on instinct, she turned her back on Angel and ran towards Giles. Despite his height, she couldn't actually see him among the mass of dancing couples. Time to trust her Slayer senses. She closed her eyes, and felt a pull towards her left. Within moments, she was tapping Giles on the shoulder.

Giles swung around and stared at her in confusion. "Buffy? You do know that Angel is here, don't you?"

Feeling much less sure of herself than she appeared, Buffy stared him in the eye. "You mean the guy who dumped me yesterday? Yeah, I know he's here. What I **don't** know is why my Watcher ditched me in the middle of our conversation."

Giles blushed from his collar all the way up to his hairline. "I, I, I thought–"

Now it was Buffy's turn to blush. "You thought I wouldn't be interested in you if Angel was here? I'm sorry I ever made you feel that way." Suddenly, Buffy grinned impishly. "As for tonight, what can I say? I'm shallow. You look way better in your tux than Angel looks in his, and I want to be seen in the arms of the best looking guy at the Prom."

Giles' blush deepened to an absurd shade of red. "Th- th- the best–" Giles placed Buffy's umbrella under the refreshment table, closed his eyes, and then blurted out as quickly as he could, "Buffy, would you like to dance with me?"

Buffy smiled happily. "Wild, wild horses couldn't keep me from it!"

Giles looked confused again, but then noticed the lyrics of the impossibly sappy song that was playing over the loud speakers. He smiled boyishly, and Buffy wondered why she had **ever** thought him old. "Perhaps one shouldn't say things like that on a Hellmouth."

Buffy giggled and then slipped into his arms. She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders, while he gently placed his hands on her hips. They were barely touching each other, and yet she felt surrounded by Giles' gentleness.

They danced for a moment in companionable silence, until Giles reluctantly spoke up. "Angel is leaving. You had best go after him now, or you may miss him altogether."

Buffy shrugged. "He's leaving the Prom now; he's leaving town right after graduation. It's all the same, and I'm not sure I want to put myself through the aggravation twice. Besides, if I go over there, he'll monopolize the rest of my evening. I want to dance with Xander, and Oz, and maybe with Jonathan or Larry, and I won't get to do that if Angel sticks around." Buffy paused, and then added with a grin, "Besides, I'm hoping to cadge another dance or two with my Watcher later this evening."

Giles gave her one of his sweet, fleeting smiles. "You might find it a little difficult prying him away from Cordelia."

Buffy quickly jerked her eyes up to his. Was he really so uncertain of her loyalty? Giles' emerald eyes were filled with gentle humor, but also a trace of insecurity that broke her heart. Angry on his behalf, Buffy glared at Giles. "Cordy is more than welcome to Wesley, but she had **damn** well better keep her mitts off of **MY** Watcher!" Giles' eyes crinkled in amusement, and Buffy ducked her head in embarrassment. "Gee, Buffy. Possessive, much?"

"It's okay, Buffy. Lord knows I understand how you feel. I don't give a damn whose arms hold you at night, or who receives a paycheck to Watch you, you are **MY** Slayer and always will be." Giles suddenly looked apprehensive, as if he had said far more than he had intended to and was afraid of the consequences.

Buffy stared intently at Giles, who swallowed nervously. "Yeah, I am." Buffy lifted her hands off of Giles' shoulders and locked them behind his neck. She then snuggled into his chest and added, "It's kinda nice to belong to somebody, isn't it?"

Giles momentarily stiffened in surprise, but then nuzzled the top of her head. He pulled her body closer to his and whispered in her ear, "yes. Yes it is."

Buffy and Giles did not speak again for the remainder of the song, but it was no longer a comfortable silence. There was an almost palpable tension between them now ... a tension that was unmistakably sexual in nature. It was new, it was scary, and it was marvelous. When the wild horses' song ended, Giles dropped his arms and started to step away from Buffy; but she didn't let him go. He smiled and wordlessly gathered her back in his arms for the next song.

They danced through two more songs before Xander broke in. For the next few hours, Buffy danced with almost a dozen young men. None of Buffy's partners received her unfocused attention, however, as her gaze kept wandering back towards her Watcher. For his part, Giles danced with Cordelia and Willow, and stared at his Slayer in between these Scooby social obligations. When the DJ announced the last song, Buffy and Giles moved towards each other through a mutual, if unspoken, accord. Buffy snaked her arms around Giles' neck, and he smiled down at her. "So, have you had your perfect high school moment?"

Buffy looked up at Giles so seriously that his smile faded. Finally, she answered. "I think **this** is that perfect moment, right now. Not at all what I would have predicted this morning." 

"And is this a good thing," Giles asked apprehensively.

"The best," Buffy stated simply. Giles grinned, and Buffy was overwhelmed by two emotions that she had never encountered simultaneously before: happiness **and** desire. The thought that she could want somebody who wasn't causing her pain was beyond bizarre, but utterly wonderful. She could get used to this. 

Suddenly, the reality of her thoughts struck her like a mack truck. She wanted Giles. She didn't want him to train her, or to do research for her, or to clean up one of her messes; she wanted him to hold her and kiss her and eventually to make love to her. She loved Giles–had loved him for years–but could she possibly be **in** love with him? Super strong physical attraction to a man that she loved, one that she also liked as friend, someone that she **enjoyed **spending time with ... is this what love **really** felt like? For over two years Angel had been bringing pain, angst, and misery into her life, and she had been calling it love; maybe she had been wrong all along. Maybe, in the end, pain was really only pain. 

The idea of being in love with Giles was uber-strange on the surface, but it sort of made sense at the same time. They were partners, perfectly balanced in their strengths and weaknesses, and they were both Chosen to fight evil. Could they also be Chosen for each other? Did she have the courage to find out? But what if she was wrong? If she made a move on Giles and things turned out badly, it would screw up their relationship forever. She couldn't afford to drive him out of her life; she just **couldn't**. Maybe she should just go home and pretend that her feelings for Giles really were just platonic. The Summer's denial genes were pretty strong; if she didn't say anything tonight, she could get away with avoiding this issue forever. That would definitely be the smart thing to do...

If you think Buffy should play it safe and go home, go to part nine.

If you think Buffy should take a chance, and find out where this new attraction might lead to, go to part ten.


	9. Part Nine

I wish the people in the Buffy-verse belonged to me (who am I kidding? I just want Giles...), but they don't. Joss owns em all. Archway Paperbacks owns the _Which Way_ books. I own my imagination, which **no one** wants. Sigh...

Part Nine

As soon as the last notes of the last song died away, Buffy jumped out of Giles' arms. To take away the sting of her rejection, she gave him her brightest smile and said, "Thank-you, kind sir. You dance divinely."

Giles smiled warmly, leading Buffy to wonder whether the slight flash of disappointment in his eyes was just wishful thinking on her part. "You're quite welcome, Buffy. Would you like me to give you a ride home now?"

"Thanks, Giles. For the dance, for the ride home, for, well, for everything."

Giles' smile became even broader as he affably offered her his arm. "My pleasure, fair lady."

Buffy giggled at his gallantry, and they started off towards the faculty parking lot. His silver Citroen was easily distinguishable as the single most beat-up car in sight, perhaps in all of Sunnydale. Buffy gave her Watcher a lot of grief over his car, but she secretly loved it for its extreme Gilesy-ness.

As they started to drive away, a companionable silence fell over them. Buffy was comfortable and happy, and Giles was humming the wild horses song that they had danced to earlier in the evening. Giles stopped humming suddenly and asked, "Do you know who performed that song? I think I would like to have a recording of it. Ah, you know, as a me-me-memento of a pl-pleasant evening." 

Buffy glanced over at him, and saw that Giles was blushing so hard that he was actually glowing in the dark. She thought about teasing him about his taste in music, but decided to take pity on him instead. "I don't know who sang it. Sorry. I'm sure that Oz would know, though. Or maybe Willow."

"Quite. I'll ask one of them in the morning." Giles started drumming the steering wheel with his fingers nervously, and Buffy wondered what was going through his mind. Before she could ask, Giles startled her by saying, "I'm glad that Willow didn't do that spell on you. You looked wonderful tonight."

"Really? Don't you think that my dress was a little wrinkled?"

Giles chuckled kindly and shook his head. "I barely noticed the dress."

Feeling insulted, Buffy demanded, "Then what? I know it's not my hair! I was going to put it up like Willow, but there was no way to do that after Slaying. This isn't how I imagined looking at my prom at all! But you like the look anyway?"

"It's you, Buffy," Giles said earnestly. "You looked happy tonight. It's a good look on you; you should try it more often."

Buffy was touched by the compliment, but she decided to deflect the impact with some gentle teasing. "Yeah, and when did you become the expert on female beauty tips?"

"I happen to have a good friend who is a model," Giles said loftily. "She keeps me informed of all the latest trends concerning women's fashions."

"Yeah, right," Buffy giggled. "You and a fashion model. I can just see it." Giles looked somewhat put out, and Buffy found herself wondering whether his claim might be true. He did have a habit of surprising her every time she tried to pigeon-hole him. 

He didn't call her on her disbelief. Instead he observed, "Well, here we are. I expect to see you at the library bright and early tomorrow morning. Don't wear nice clothes, as we will be burning the corpses of the hellhounds that you killed earlier this evening."

Buffy grimaced in disgust. "Goody! Just what I always enjoy doing on a Saturday! Can't I institute a I Slay em, you burn em' policy? I'm **sure** that the Slayer Handbook would back me up on this one..."

Giles grinned. "Then it's a good job for me that I never gave you the Handbook, isn't it?"

Still scowling, Buffy climbed out of the car. "Good night, Giles."

Giles smiled affectionately at her, and Buffy was overwhelmed by how lucky she was to have him as her Watcher ... and as her friend. "Good night, Buffy. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Giles. I'll see you in the morning." She grinned wickedly. "But not **too** early..."

Giles was chuckling as he drove away, and Buffy went into the house thinking fondly of her favorite Watcher. He was a good guy.

THE END

Okay, this ending was for Buffy. The Watcher-Slayer relationship is intact, maybe a bit stronger than before, and she didn't have to face any scary emotions. Yay for her, boring for us. Doesn't she know that faint hearts never won gorgeous librarians? If you think that Buffy should have shown a little gumption at the end of the prom, go to part ten.


	10. Part Ten

Joss and Archway Paperbacks are gods; I am a worm. A creative worm, but a ground crawler all the same...

Part Ten

Never one to stew overlong, Buffy decided to pursue this new possibility before she lost her nerve. "Too bad I can't extend the evening a bit longer. It's sort of traditional to stay out till morning on Prom night, but I don't want to hone in on Willow or Xander's dates. I feel like the biggest loser of all time, having to go home right after this dance ends."

Giles smiled affectionately. "That rather sounds like a hint. Would you like to come back to my flat for some tea? Or we could go out for ice cream? I did promise you ice cream."

"You've seen through my diabolical plan," Buffy giggled. "But I'm not really in an ice cream mood anymore. Too happy. I would, however, very much like a cup of coffee."

Giles stared at her oddly. "Coffee?"

Panicked, Buffy wondered whether Giles knew that coffee qualified as a not-quite-a-date. As was her wont when embarrassed, Buffy began to babble. "Yeah, coffee. It's a caffeinated beverage, you know. But you could have tea, if you like. Tea is also caffeinated. Or we could go for ice cream if you prefer. Ice cream is always of the good. They even have caffeinated ice cream. I think. Is there any caffeine in mocha ice cream? Or maybe I should just–" 

Giles interrupted Buffy with a kindly chuckle. "I am familiar with coffee, and I would love to have some with you. I believe it is too late for the Espresso Pump, but Dunkin' Donuts is open 24 hours a day." Giles gallantly offered Buffy his arm and bowed slightly at the waist. "Shall we?"

"Thank you, kind sir," Buffy grinned as she linked her elbow through his. "And I'll make you a deal: if you buy the coffee, I'll get the jelly donuts."

Giles responded with an adorable grin and a gentle tug on her arm, leading her away from the Prom and towards their first non-date. 

- * - * - * - * -

They spent nearly two hours in Dunkin' Donuts before the glares of the night manager finally chased them away. Buffy had a wonderful time, and judging by his frequent smiles and giggles, Giles did as well. Neither mentioned the Ascension or Slaying or Destiny; instead, they discussed music and art, ice-skating and archaeology, London and LA, and dozens of other non-Hellmouthy type topics. As they started walking towards Giles' car, Buffy suddenly realized that she had never had a nicer evening. 

When they got to the ancient Citroen, Giles leaned down to open the passenger side door for her. His face was millimeters from her own, and the temptation was too great for Buffy. She gently pressed her lips to his, and then leaned back to judge his reaction. His eyes were glazed and he was breathing heavily, letting Buffy know that this attraction she was feeling was definitely not one-sided. Afraid that he might call a halt to this whatever-it-was, Buffy decided that he mustn't be allowed to catch his breath. She went back in for another kiss, this time opening her lips and inviting him in. Giles froze for a moment, and then skillfully swept his tongue into her mouth. Two years ago, Buffy would never have guessed that her tweed-clad Watcher had so much passion buried within him, but it wasn't the slightest bit startling to her now. Giles was all about hidden depths, and always had been. Like, who would have guessed that he would be such an amazing kisser?

When they finally broke for air, Buffy was trembling. Giles noticed–as he always noticed everything that concerned her–and started to take off his jacket. Buffy stopped him by laying her hand on his arm. "That's okay, Giles. I'm not cold. **Believe** me, I am very far from cold right now!"

Giles chuckled. "That makes two of us. And on that note, I definitely need to take you home now."

"Or you could take me to your place," Buffy whispered enticingly. "Mom doesn't expect me home until morning..."

Giles swallowed nervously, but his voice was steady when he answered her. "Buffy, I don't think that would be a very good idea." Buffy shook her head, and looked like she was about to protest, so Giles went on quickly. "No, hear me out. I love you, Buffy. I've loved you for years now. I first recognized the feeling when you went to fight the Master, but I had already loved you long before I read of your death in the Codex. And it's **never **been a father's love of his child,' but rather the love of a friend and a partner. And yet, despite the strength of my feelings for you, I have never **wanted** you ... before tonight. I haven't seen you as a girl since your seventeenth birthday, but I haven't seen you as a woman either. Not until you walked through those doors tonight, looking too beautiful for a mortal man to bear." Giles softly brushed his fingertips over Buffy's cheek, and she leaned into his caress like a cat. "This feeling is too new and too precious to risk by rushing into anything neither of us is ready for. After we stop the Ascension and defeat the Mayor there will be plenty of time to explore our feelings for each other. For now, allow me to take you home. Please."

Buffy stared at her Watcher, and thought about what he had said. Giles might sound confident that they would stop the Ascension, but Buffy had been reading the same books that he had, and she **knew** that it was far from a sure thing. A Slayer never had any sort of guarantee that she would still be alive in the morning; the only philosophy that made any sense for the Chosen One was that of _carpe diem_. Right now, Buffy wanted to _carpe_ Giles' _diem_ rather badly. Giles sounded sure of what he wanted, but Buffy knew that she could get what **she** wanted if she pouted hard enough. He never could resist her when she set her mind towards something. And if the pout didn't work, she knew just what buttons to push... On the other hand, he was making a lot of sense ... assuming that they **did** survive the Ascension.

If you think Buffy will go home and meekly agree to take this budding relationship slowly, go to part eleven.

If you think Buffy will turn into id-girl and go for the completely gratuitous sex, go to part twelve.


	11. Part Eleven

Nothing has changed from part one: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and the "Which Way?" books still do not belong to me. Sigh...

Part Eleven

Buffy stared at Giles longingly, but she had to admit that he was right. Damn, but she hated it when he was right. "I'm not really into waiting. You know this about me, don't you?"

Giles got into the car and deadpanned, "I have gotten that impression from you every once and a while." 

Buffy slid into the car and buckled her seatbelt. She knew what Giles was doing; he was trying to lighten the atmosphere. If they didn't, all the good intentions in the world would never be enough to keep her hands off of his gorgeous body. She could only hope that he felt the same way... In any case, she could help with the mood-lightening thing. "This is because I said it was skanky to party with the students, isn't it?"

Giles shot her a dangerous grin. "I assure you, Buffy, I still have absolutely no intention of partying with students in any sort of gathering, large or small. I was thinking more along the lines of a one-on-one tutorial with a particularly recalcitrant pupil..."

Buffy was glad she was sitting down, because that last comment had her feeling rather weak in the knees. She liked the feeling, and she liked this game. "And just what would this tutorial entail...?"

"Hmm." Giles pretended to ponder her question, lightly drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "I do believe a fancy dinner is in order, perhaps some dancing, and then back to my couch for a proper tongue lashing."

"Tongue lashing?" Buffy squeaked.

"A **very** thorough tongue lashing. I anticipate several hours at least," Giles answered severely.

Buffy failed to suppress a giggle at this, but she quickly composed her features and asked, "And then?"

Sobered now, Giles answered, "And then we'll see where things stand. I have no specific expectations of you, Buffy, nor do I have a secret agenda." Giles flicked her eyes to her, and then turned back to the road. "I love you, and I will love you no matter what. Whether we decide to pursue a physical relationship or not has no bearing on that basic fact. Let's just defeat the Mayor, and then allow matters to unfold at their own rate." 

Buffy found her eyes misting up. "I love you too, Watcher mine. But just so we're clear: you aren't saying no' to smoochies with me, you're just saying no' to smoochies until after graduation."

Giles smiled seductively. "I wouldn't object **too** strenuously to a goodnight smooch' or two; I just think that we should stop there for the time being. There's no rush. I'm not going anywhere, and I intend to make sure that you are around for a long, long time."

"Do you know, Giles, I think I just might be at that. Somehow, I feel like anything is possible when you're in my corner." 

Giles turned to face her, and Buffy realized that they were parked in front of her house. He cupped her cheek and stared intently at her. "That's because anything **is** possible for you, Buffy. You are amazing, and I have no doubt that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, whether I am around or not. Of course, **I** am much happier if I'm around..."

"Then what are you doing over there on the other side of the car," Buffy petulantly asked. Taking the hint, Giles scooted over to give Buffy a lingering kiss, one that was mind-blowing in its passion and intensity. 

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing heavily. Giles jerked his head towards her house and whispered, "You'd best get inside, Buffy. We have an early morning tomorrow."

"I guess we do," Buffy acknowledged ruefully. "Demon dog disposal and Ascension prevention. Oh joy!"

"Um, per- perhaps we might, if we accomplish enough in the morning, perhaps we mi- might go out for coffee afterwards?" Even in the dark, Buffy could make out the adorable blush on Giles' face.

"Coffee, huh? Willow calls that the non-relationship drink of choice."

Giles stared steadily at her. "I thought you said it was a caffeinated beverage."

"That too," Buffy assured him brightly. She leaned over to give him a quick peck on the lips and then jumped out of the car. "Goodnight, Giles."

"It has been, hasn't it," Giles mused.

"Yeah, it has been," Buffy assured him. "The best night of my life, in fact. But I'm expecting something even better next after Graduation."

"Then you shall have it," Giles told her gravely.

And somehow, Buffy knew that she would. It would be a long couple of weeks, but she **knew** that the wait would be worth it. And there would be coffee and kisses to tide her over. Life was good. For the first time in a year and a half, life was really and truly good.

THE END

Hey, I liked that ending! Sweet, with lots of promise of future bliss—what could be better? What? You think that hot Gilesian monkey-sex would be better? Well, yes it would be, but fanfiction,net doesn't allow it. How about some nice leading-to and post-coital conversations? You can find them in part twelve.


	12. Part Twelve

See part one for notes and disclaimers, with one caveat: this part, unlike the rest, is NC-17. Please do not read if you are under the age of consent. 

Part Twelve 

Buffy took in a big gulp of air, desperately hoping to find the courage she needed. "You're right. This feeling **is** scarily new, and as for precious, well, it is the most precious thing to ever come into my life. You say that you never saw me as a woman before tonight—and what is that about, by the way? If I stopped being a girl when I turned seventeen, what have I been for the past year and a half or so? Some amorphous blob?" Buffy shook her head when she noticed that Giles was about to say something. "I'm getting sidetracked here. What I was going to say was that I never saw you as a man either, not until we were dancing and we agreed that we belonged to each other. Time to get used to this new tingly feeling would be a must sort of thing ... **IF** we weren't the Chosen Ones, and **IF** we didn't live on a Hellmouth."

Giles didn't like this line of thought. His face darkened and he growled, "Buffy—"

"No, Giles. It's your turn to hear me out," Buffy snapped. "You say that we will have plenty of time to explore our feelings for each other, but you can't know that for sure. We lead dangerous lives, and either one of us could die at any time. I could have died tonight—well, maybe not tonight, cause those hellhounds were incredibly easy to Slay, but yesterday night—and I never would have had a clue that I was in love with you. I don't want to die tomorrow night without ever knowing what it would have been like to make love with you."

This was too much for Giles. "Nothing is going to happen to you," he hissed fiercely. "I won't permit it."

"Are you really so certain you can keep that promise, Giles? I have an awful lot more to lose now than I did a few hours ago. From the day that Angel returned from hell, I've known that our relationship couldn't go anywhere, but I didn't care because he was all that I could see. But now, I see you, and I see so many possibilities that weren't open to me before, and I want them all!"

Cautiously, Giles asked, "What do you see, Buffy?"

"I see the opportunity to know what an orgasm feels like. Girls don't really experience that their very first time, or so I've read, and a first time is all I've ever had. I see the chance to know what it feels like to wake up in the arms of a lover. I see the prospect of being with a man who actually makes me happy instead of miserable. I see a relationship based on sunlight instead of huddling in a dark corner. I see growth and a possible future. Like I said, I see you."

"I'll still be here in the morning. And so will you." Giles spoke calmly, but his eyes were shining ardently. Buffy was getting to him.

"Yeah, we'll both be here tomorrow, but how about the day after tomorrow, or the day after that? At the risk of sounding like Faith, a Slayer has to take what she can, when she can. Her life is just too short to do anything else. I see you, and I want you; the question is, can I have you?"

Suddenly, Giles grabbed her arms and began devouring her. Unlike their previous kiss, this was neither sweet nor gentle; it was rough and bruising, and made Buffy's head swim with desire. The kiss ended just as unexpectedly as it began, with Giles yanking his head away from hers and snarling, "Get in the damn car." Not waiting for Buffy to respond, Giles jogged over to his side of the car and slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine and released the parking brake before Buffy had her seatbelt on.

Still spinning from Giles' unexpectedly brutal kiss, Buffy meekly asked, "Have you decided where we're going?"

"My place," he growled. He took his eyes off the road to glance at her; and something in her face made his fierceness vanish, just as suddenly as it had appeared. "Th- that is, um, we can go to my flat if that is still what you, er, want."

Although he couldn't see it, Buffy smiled. "That is exactly what I want. Why would I change my mind?"

Sounded dejected, Giles answered, "I reacted rather badly just now. I'm sorry. It's just—" Giles stopped in frustration, and then began again. "I have **never** liked to think of anything happening to you. The very thought has always been enough to make me feel like all the air has been sucked out of a room. But tonight... tonight when I have just realized what you really mean to me... the idea that you might be killed in the near future..." Giles paused again, and then added lamely, "it just made me a little crazy. I shouldn't have mauled you like that, and I'm sorry."

"I liked the mauling part," Buffy quipped. Then, more seriously, "I'm the one who's sorry, Giles. I know that you don't like to talk about the Slayer lifespan, but I figured that it was the only way to make you understand why I don't want to wait to be with you."

"You manipulated me." Giles' voice was flat and angry.

"I prefer to think of it as a successful tactical exercise."

"Tactics?" Giles gasped incredulously.

"Yeah. I figured out what I really wanted, but there was an obstacle in my path. So, I looked for the best way to remove the obstacle without damaging my ultimate objective. I have this really great mentor in tactics, and I kinda think he might be proud of me."

"You think that, do you?" Giles still sounded mad, but Buffy could see a smile fluttering around the edges of his mouth. She was reasonably certain that Giles would forgive her, if he hadn't already. "I think your instructor would give you fairly poor marks for your performance tonight. You are not operating on neutral territory, but rather on your mark's home turf. This gives you a tactical handicap, and increases the odds that your target might take advantage of you."

Using her most seductive voice, Buffy purred, "That was sort of the idea..."

There was a long silence, and Buffy wondered whether she had just made Giles angrier. Had she gone over a line of some sort? She had been trying for sexy, but maybe she just sounded manipulative. Just as she was beginning to panic, Giles started to laugh. It began as a deep, throaty laugh, but slowly dissolved into contagious giggles. By the time the car had stopped in front of Giles' apartment complex, Buffy was just as caught up in a giggling fit as Giles was. "So much," she hiccuped, "for my big attempt at seduction."

Struggling manfully against his hysterics, Giles turned to face her ... and broke out laughing once again. This fit didn't last as long this time, however, as both he and Buffy were winded. Finally, Giles was able to speak. "You don't need to make a big attempt at seduction, Buffy. I want you; you know that. That said, I think you also know that I don't want your body nearly as much as I want you to be happy. If you are **certain**—and I do mean **truly** certain—that spending the night with me will make you happy, then I get everything I want at once." Buffy grinned and would have spoken, but Giles held his hand up to prevent her. "But Buffy, do be certain. If there is the slightest possibility that you might later regret coming here, **please** let me know **now** so that I can take you home. If you were to feel any remorse tomorrow for anything we happen to do tonight ... it would kill me. It would literally kill me."

Buffy was stunned that the emotional marathon man would open up to her in this way. It wasn't just in his words, but also in his eyes. Every corner of his soul shone out of his vulnerable green eyes, and it was far more beautiful than she had ever imagined. She had loved her repressed Watcher for years; she had ached for his touch for hours; but it wasn't until this moment that she realized that she was head-over-heels in love with him. The depth of her love astonished her, but oddly enough it didn't frighten her; this felt **right** in a way that nothing else ever had before. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but the emotions were too huge for words. All that came out was a breathy "Oh, Giles..." What a joke! Her shy Watcher who flustered so easily and stuttered his way through the simplest sentiment had just laid it all on the line while she, Ms. Babblefest 1999, seemed unable to say a single thing that was in her heart. 

He stared at her for an eternity while Buffy continued her frantic search for the words that could tell him what she so desperately needed to say. Her mind remained blank, and she began to despair. Her eyes must have been more eloquent than her mouth, however, for he obviously saw in them what he needed to know. He leaned over and kissed her, gently but thoroughly. When he pulled back he gave her a heart-breaking smile and said, "Well, come on then. Let's get inside." Giles unfolded his large frame from his tiny car, came around to open her door, grasped her hand, and led her inside. As they walked through the door, Buffy wondered whether it was possible to die of happiness.

- * - * - * - * -

Lovemaking with Giles was as far removed from her evening with Angel as it was possible to get. There was no rushing, no desperation, no darkness, and, most of all, no shame at all. Everything Giles did was deliberate, with the sole aim of making Buffy feel comfortable and special. They held hands as they slowly went up the stairs to the loft, stopping every few steps for sweet, gentle kisses. Once in the room, Giles turned on the light in the closet and then cracked the door so the light would glow into the room without shining in either's eyes. He then turned her around so that he could unzip her dress, which he slowly lifted over her head. He trailed light fingers down her spine and then kissed her on the back of her neck. He then moved down to her ear, and murmured, "So goddamn beautiful." He hung up her dress and his jacket so neither would get wrinkled, and then he spun her around. When she was looking him in the eyes, he whispered "Promise me, Buffy."

"Whatever you like, Giles," she breathed intensely. To her surprise, Giles laughed. "Was that a too melodramatic?"

"It was a bit, yes," he chuckled. "That's alright though. If you enjoy melodrama, then by all means indulge yourself! But you must promise me this: if anything, at any time, makes you feel uncomfortable, you will tell me. There is no point of no return, and you are not to worry about me. If you aren't totally happy, I want to know about it. Will you do that for me?"

"I promise, but I can also promise that there isn't going to be a problem. Giles, happy' has been redefined for me tonight. I am so far beyond happy, beyond blissful, beyond ecstatic... I guess I'm not making a lot of sense..."

"You have just described how I feel perfectly. It's called love, and nothing in this world makes more sense." He then leaned down to kiss her. His tongue was feather light as it swept her mouth, and it made her crazy. Buffy grabbed hold of his torso and pulled him close, but he limited himself to skimming his hands ethereally over her hair, carefully **not** touching her buzzing skin at all. 

On some level, Buffy understood that Giles was controlling himself because he didn't want to influence her; but his restraint was driving her insane. More than that, it was undermining her confidence in herself. Behind her desire for Giles there was the lingering fear that Angelus was right, she really did have a lot to learn about men. She began tugging at his trousers, wanting to see tangible proof that he truly wanted her as badly as she wanted him. As his pants fell to the ground, she got the evidence she craved: the cloth of his briefs was stretched taut by a straining erection. He was large and impossibly hard, which she expected, and hot to the touch, which surprised her. She had replayed her one night with Angel so many times--that blurry mental porno movie her sole release from the need that wracked her body after an intense Slaying—and she had always assumed that that night had been perfect. She knew better now. The heat radiating from Giles' body was calling forth an answering inferno from her own body, and she found herself **wanting** him in a way that she had **never** wanted Angel. Buffy felt a need to communicate this to Giles, an emotional ache to match the physical one in her loins. "I love you, Giles, more than I ever thought possible. And I want you, **way** more than I ever thought possible."

Giles chuckled softly at her second declaration, and then gazed into her hazel eyes. "I love you too, Buffy. And, if you're certain, God knows I want you too." He then proceeded to prove it, as slowly and carefully as he could. Buffy began to think that there might be some benefits to making love with a cautious man. By the end of the night, she was certain of it. 

- * - * - * - * -

Buffy awoke with the disquieting sense that someone was staring at her. She snapped open her eyes and immediately saw Giles propped up on his elbow, watching her with an inscrutable expression. Suddenly, Buffy found herself remembering the last time she had awoken in a man's bed and panic began to choke her. She gave Giles a weak smile and said, "Hey!"

Giles gave her a heartbreaking smile and murmured "Good morning, Buffy. You slept well, I trust." The words were very Gilesy, but they were said with so much love and caring that Buffy's heart stopped in her chest. Buffy was ashamed of herself. How could she **ever** have been uncertain of Giles? He would **never** do an Angelus on her, and she should have known that.

"Morning, yourself," she said shyly. "And yeah, I slept great. I've never been more comfy in my whole life. You?"

"I haven't slept that well in years," he said with a warm smile. "I like having you here. I like knowing that you're safe." His smile turned mischievous. "And I like having blond hair in my face while I sleep; it filters the air for me."

Buffy blushed furiously. "Sorry bout that. What time is it, anyway?"

Still grinning, Giles answered, "Quarter to seven. We are supposed to meet the others at the library by 8:30; there's plenty of time to eat breakfast and drop you off at home for a change of clothes if we both take quick showers."

"That's right, we have Scooby research scheduled for today, don't we?" Buffy wasn't sure how she felt about that. Turning her trademark pout at him, Buffy asked, "Can't we blow it off, and just stay in bed all day?"

Buffy had been trying for a flippant tone, but she knew right away that she had failed. The happy grin slipped away, and his entire body tensed up. "You know that we can't. Is there a problem that I should know about? Some reason that you don't want to see the others..."

"You think I'm ashamed of what we did last night," Buffy asked incredulously. "God, Giles! No! It's just... I'm not sure that they will be happy for us, and I really don't want to deal with any snarky comments. Not today. This is all so new and wonderful, and I just want to be happy for a while, and not worry about our friends' approval. Does that make any sense?"

"It does, actually. As a matter of fact, I was planning on asking you if you minded keeping this a secret until after graduation. I don't want to throw off the group dynamics until **after** the Ascension, and I certainly can't afford to lose my job—and access to the library—before then. Of course," Giles added thoughtfully, "that does mean that I will have to keep my hands off of your delectable body for the next few weeks, at least when we are in public. It will be quite trying."

Fighting a grin, Buffy asked, "Would it help you get through the day if I tire you out this morning?"

"You could try," Giles said smugly.

Buffy was insulted. "Try?!? Hey, Slayer stamina here! You think you can keep up with me, Watcher?"

Giles' response was a grin and an aggressive dive at Buffy's neck. It would make them late, but what the hell. Buffy didn't seem to know about **Watcher** stamina; perhaps he could label this as training. Giles wondered whether this aspect of being Chosen was covered in the Handbook that he never gave her... 

THE END

You went straight for the gratuitous sex, didn't you? Well, I guess I can understand that, it's probably what I would have done in your place... Hope you enjoyed it! %^)


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